CDNs (i.e., Content Delivery Networks) allow for the electronic distribution of media content (that is provided by content providers) to users over distributed computing networks, such as the internet. Example of the types of media content distributed include advertisements, sporting events, news broadcasts, music videos, and corporate presentations, for example.
A CDN typically includes a network of servers that deliver the media content from e.g., a customer website/broadcast event to a user based upon, among other things, the geographic location of the user and the origin of the website/event. Typically, a CDN caches the content from the customer's website/event to the CDN's network of servers, which are geographically dispersed. Accordingly, when a user requests the media content, the CDN will redirect the request to a server within the CDN that is geographically closest to the user. The cached content is then delivered to the user.
In order for a content provider to effectively utilize the services of a CDN, the network link through which the content is broadcast to the CDN must be sufficiently fast and reliable.